3912 Third Street
The Midtown neighborhood in Detroit is developing to a vital residential and commercial destination north of Downtown. With the initiative to extend development towards the west, the newly implemented ‘Selden Innovation Corridor’ is rapidly growing into a residential and cultural district. The former street and block structure was restored to better integrate the area to Midtown. Since 2017, the construction of over 350 new apartments is under way and several ‘eco-homes’ have been completed. A new Theater, several restaurants, brewery, and a shared work space in the historic Jefferson Intermediate School of 1923 are either completed or are in the process of being realized.
The economic impact in the neighborhood creates a vital ground to develop additional housing and business opportunities for the growing demand in Detroit.
The small corner lot on Third and Selden Streets offers a prime location in this growing and increasingly densifying corridor. The concept is to maximize the development opportunity with a maximum number of units and a small corner store.
The narrow lot prohibits the design of a building with typical double loaded corridor. Consequently, we decided to maximize the depth of the units and offer two aspects for each. Clearly, this can be described as an advantage, as the units can be cross ventilated, have natural light and views on two opposing sides, and each unit has a small outdoor space to sit or maybe have some plants. An exterior access balcony enhances the community connection amongst residents and invites to create a small ‘front porch’ area for every unit.
The 24 one-bedroom units share a small roof terrace and offer covered parking under the building. A small corner store serves the needs of the neighborhood.
Building Type: Mixed Use, Residential
Location: Detroit, Michigan, USA
Client: 3MISSION Partners
Service: Architectural Design, Interior Design
GSF: 24,300 sqft
Year: 2021
Team: Lars Gräbner, Christina Hansen, José Arturo Joglar-Cadilla